EUGENE, Ore., (February 4, 2025) — Heritage Distilling Company, Inc. (“HDC” or “Heritage” or “The Company”), a leading craft distiller of innovative premium brands, and the Coquille Indian Tribe of Oregon announced the ground breaking of Oregon’s first Tribally-Owned distillery and tasting room, located at The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park on Coos Bay, in North Bend, Oregon. The project broke ground this month and is expected to open to the public by the end of the year. Both Heritage and Coquille-branded spirits will be produced and bottled on Tribal land and sold at the casino’s several bars, restaurants and retail outlets.
“After more than two years of planning, negotiating with the state of Oregon, and completing design work, we are thrilled to have broken ground on this historic project,” said Margaret Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of CEDCO, the Tribe’s venture arm that owns and operates The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park. “All members of the team, including Heritage Distilling and fi architecture, have brought forth a design for a customer experience space that will be unparalleled for hundreds of miles in every direction. The completion of this project at The Mill further solidifies our casino and resort as the premier destination in the region.”
The project will feature an updated Plank House restaurant, two indoor digital golf suites and a Heritage-branded tasting room. Spanning two levels and with panoramic views of Coos Bay, the tasting room includes two full-service bars, a cigar lounge, retail space, private event suites and Heritage’s proprietary Cask Club®.
Led by Justin and Jennifer Stiefel since 2011, Heritage is the most-awarded craft distillery in North America by the American Distilling Institute for a decade and is recognized for its brand family of premium whiskies, gins, vodkas, rums and ready-to-drink cocktails. Beyond their mastery of distilling, the Stiefels saw both an injustice done to Native American indigenous communities and a mutually beneficial economic opportunity to create national distribution for Heritage’s portfolio of craft spirits. Together, they established the Tribal Beverage Network (TBN), a first-of-its-kind partnership with Native American Tribes to develop Heritage-branded distilleries, brands and tasting rooms to serve patrons of Tribal casinos and entertainment venues.
Jennifer Stiefel, president and co-founder of Heritage Distilling, added: “We are honored to break ground on this historic project with the Coquille Tribe. This marks a significant milestone for the Tribe, the Tribal Beverage Network and Oregon’s craft spirits industry. The Tribe’s commitment to economic self-sufficiency and innovation aligns perfectly with Heritage Distilling’s mission, and we are proud to stand alongside them in bringing the state’s first Tribally-Owned distillery to life. This is more than a distillery—it’s a long-term economic resource that will support the Tribe for generations to come.”
The distillery will be modeled after Heritage’s industry-leading operations derived from its five distilleries and tasting rooms across Washington and Oregon. As a TBN partner, the Coquille-owned and operated destination will also offer several amenities for patrons including a tasting room that features Heritage spirits like Cocoa Bomb Chocolate Whiskey, Heritage canned cocktails, Florescence Vodka, Stiefel’s Select Single Barrel and small batch whiskeys, and Heritage’s latest Salute Series which honors and supports military and first responder communities.
In addition to on-site tastings, the Coquille distillery will also extend unique membership programs available to TBN partners: The Cask Club®, an annual membership-based program that allows members to create, customize and age spirits of their choice; and The Spirits Club®, a program that provides members quarterly shipments of Heritage’s award-winning spirits delivered directly to their door at a reduced rate, as well as priority access to new, limited and seasonal releases.
The project designs were conceived by the team at fi architecture in Gig Harbor, Washington, the longtime design partner for all of Heritage Distilling’s retail and TBN locations. Detailed renderings of the project can be found on the fi architecture website here.
TBN members can benefit from wholesale and retail margins and tax capture. In addition, Tribes entering this industry can generate funds to support social and economic initiatives, increase employment, diversify the skillsets of their members and work with Heritage to create their brands to celebrate the unique characteristics of a Tribe or region.
The Coquille Tribe’s announcement follows on the heels of a recent announcement by the Tonto Apache Tribe in Payson, Arizona on its plans to open a Heritage Distilling branded location in partnership with Heritage at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino’s newest development, Apache Corners. Until recently, an 1834 federal law prohibited anyone from setting up a distillery on Tribal land for manufacturing “ardent spirits.” In large part due to Heritage Distilling Company’s efforts, the antiquated Andrew Jackson-era law was finally repealed by Congress in 2018, paving the way for the Coquille Indian Tribe to pursue distillery operations on Tribal lands.
Heritage has several other Tribes participating in TBN, with partnership announcements planned in line with each Tribe’s development timeline. For more information on Heritage Distilling Company and the Tribal Beverage Network, visit heritagedistilling.com.